[jailbird_fynix]

We all know about how positively technology has affected our travels - especially in terms of safety & convenience. But are we even bothered by it's ill-effects?




With a map of the entire world in our pockets and a little blue dot to tell us where we are, it’s easy to lose our spontaneity. Getting lost while traveling can be terrifying, fascinating, and eye-opening — often all at the same time — and by using technology to stop that from happening, we miss out on all the good and bad that goes with it. Long journeys become a question of how much battery life is left rather than to know more about the people and places around us. By keeping us tethered to life back home, does technology rob us of the chance to make real connections on the road?

Poking your head into a hostel common room, you’d barely recognize it from 20 years ago. Gone are the small groups of backpackers playing cards, reading books, and swapping stories. Instead, Whatsapp's green logo shines from a dozen smartphones as statuses are updated to let everyone know about the wonderful time being had. We miss being able to strike up a conversation with a fellow traveler without needing to drag them away from their Instagram feed. This also happens when we depend entirely on Google Maps than stop the car for a tea and ask around for directions, road conditions and route suggestions. Thus, we tend to be social and not social at the same time.

The first and most obvious pieces of influential technology are the online reviews. According to 2016 statistics from TripAdvisor, there are more than 350 million reviews on their site. And in previous surveys, they found that 93% of travelers worldwide say online reviews have an impact on their booking, and 80% of travelers read 6 to 12 reviews before booking a hotel. We’ve become a generation of optimizers, unwilling to settle for anything less than a 10, and travel has become a commodity — a thing you buy, not a thing you experience.






*So what happens when we rely too much on tech?


We’ve seen it before
Nowadays, we feel as if we rarely see something for the first time – we’ve always seen it online first. Social media can make places feel like a book you’ve read the last page of.




Copying other people's travels
We read blogs and follow the same suggested itineraries and seek out the same photo spots. When there’s so much information at your fingertips it can be easy to copy rather than pave our own routes.




If you didn’t get a photo, did it happen?
Experiences are sometimes deemed less valid if they weren’t documented today. And what about those awesome moments that are just as meaningful but aren’t photogenic?






*Here's an interesing video emphasising on overtourism and what 'going on a holiday' is all about nowadays -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTiRajt-ZnM

"As a tourist, I hate other tourists"





But so it goes in the era of option overload. Not only can review madness cause decision paralysis, it can also bring on disappointment once you finally get to the place you were obsessively researching. Perhaps the biggest problem with all this pre-trip research, though, is that when we rely on it, we end up denying ourselves the chance to discover new places on our own. Often, the best places aren’t the ones we read about in guidebooks or TripAdvisor — they’re the ones we stumble upon by chance, the ones we find precisely because we hadn’t been looking, the ones that meet a need we didn’t even know we had.




It’s a lot harder to feel like you’re “away from it all” when “it all” is still right there at your fingertips.
Our quest for likes is actually influencing the destinations we’re choosing in the first place. People just want to do things that will look great in their social feeds. They are often more interested in getting a good selfie than staying and listening to historical stories at the less photogenic parts of the tour. Many guides now offer “Instagram-friendly” tours so they don’t lose customers.




Live-documenting your trip can change the experience by turning it into a performance. When it’s a performance, there’s all this pressure to get likes, for other people to enjoy what you’re doing. So what will happen is if you think something is cool but most people don’t, they may not like your stuff — so you subconsciously start to doubt your own experience.


*Technology is Not the Problem

As with most other things in life, balance is key. It’s fine to have half an hour on your phone checking email or chatting with your Mum, but put it away afterward to talk to the people around you. Buy your cheap flights while lying in bed, but don’t be afraid to turn up somewhere without any plans. By all means take a few photos of the Taj Mahal to show your friends, but don’t spend 20 minutes composing the perfect selfie in front of it. Keep yourself safe in unfamiliar cities, but let yourself surrender to the unexpected when your gut tells you to. The gadgets are just a tool to help you travel, like a travel backpack or a decent pair of shoes. They’re not a necessity, and they won’t always improve your trip — in fact, they’ll make it far less interesting if you become too attached to them. There are always incredible moments waiting to be discovered on the road. They are hidden in plain sight among the people, places, food, and culture of wherever you’re visiting. No matter how much technology you’ve got in your backpack, that hasn’t changed. And for those of you who still believe technology is the sole culprit, 'unplugged' tour packages are now a thing.

OT: Norman Rockwell's 1947 interpretation of a family road trip titled,"Coming And Going". Some things never change.



In Going, Dad confidently grips the wheel leading the expedition with Mom at his side cradling the youngest. Anticipation spills into the backseat where big brother and pooch lean into the wind, while little sister blows a bubble about to pop as her brother razzes oncoming cars. Unfazed by it all, Grandma sits stone-faced, staring straight ahead.

In Coming, the excitement has fizzled. Pop struggles to keep his eyes open. Mom, still cradling little sis, drifted off miles ago, while the boys, pooch, even the wide-eyed bubble blower are running out of steam. Unfazed by it all, Grandma sits stone-faced, staring straight ahead — did she even get out of the car?

To help readers unravel the story line, Rockwell provides clues. In the lower panel, to signify night-time, he shows the tiniest portion of a lighted lamp post through the car window. Another clue: The pennant dangling from the door tells us the outing was to Bennington Lake, where — judging from the fishing pole sticking out the rear window and weathered rowboat lashed to the roof — Dad managed to get in some angling. Rockwell also lets us know Grandma indeed exited the car — if only for a souvenir plant.

There’s a familiar feeling to the entire scene. (We’ve all been on family outings like this.) You can almost hear the eternal refrain, “Are we there yet?”

[Source - Dave Dean, "Too Many Adapters" (Link) with excerpts from WheregoesRose & Annie Daly]


To conclude - Before heading out on a trip, just ask yourself this one question - "For whom am I doing this?"
It should be for YOU and YOU only. It should be for YOU to impress yourself only and for YOU to enjoy.

And since this is a platform where travelogues pop up every so often - would love to hear your thoughts on this. Good Day!

[ruzbehxyz]

You have hit the nail on the head. On most occasions people are taking photos for the heck of it, only to post it on social media like Facebook. Sometimes the photos are uploaded even before the person reaches his / her hotel room.
Blog/ Vblog is also another trend now with every alternate person making a video and posting it on YouTube. With more sophisticated cameras on smart phones and advanced action cameras like GoPro shooting videos and taking pictures has only got easier.
Taking selfies is another major problem in today's time. People have hurt themselves or even died while taking selfies. Somewhere we need to stop or change ourselves.

[am1m]

Gmaps is awesome, as someone who has plotted long bike rides across the country using the Eicher Road Atlas and now uses Gmaps, I have absolutely no nostalgia-tinted desire to go back to the road atlas days!

Also online booking using the IRCTC app, another thumbs up!

Everything else the damn smartphone brings, I dislike and think it definitely screws up the travel experience. So much so, I've started using my much, much lower spec phone when I travel and use my 'large-screen' latest one only in Bangalore. Haven't even installed Whatsapp or Insta on the lower spec phone and I find I enjoy my travels MUCH more without having any access to them! Anyway I stopped carrying my DSLR a long time ago, found that I was 'focusing' (haha) more on the pics I wanted to take than on enjoying the place.

[luvDriving]

With a major holiday season just over (Christmas/New Year) and another trip season looming on the horizons (school year ending / summer holidays), this seems a very good time to ponder on this topic.

You are right. Nowadays people do every travel while keeping in mind what they will post on their FB or Instagram or any other social media page. It is a prestige issue to get as many likes and comments as possible in order to increase social ranking.

Speaking for me I just like to take in the view with my eyes only. Enjoy whatever you have travelled for first and then you can click pictures. The art of appreciation is getting lost with a desire to capture everything on camera and transfer it to some HDD.

[aargee]

It's not the technology ruining, it's the people who're misusing the technology.

GMap is a fantastic guide, Phone is multi utility device that holds my music, camera, communication, storage & now even money. And it's the same mobile that is used for wasting time as well.

That being said, we once used to take a lot of pics from our trips, but when we came home, we could only remember how we clicked & not the actual place & the experience. We stopped taking pics for anything & everything about couple of years ago; we now take for sake of it, if time permits. Needless to say, we're enjoying & remember our trips much better.

I'm of the opinion that anything used within the limit yields pleasure & pushed to limits is disaster!

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by aargee

It's not the technology ruining, it's the people who're misusing the technology.

I'm of the opinion that anything used within the limit yields pleasure & pushed to limits is disaster!

+ 1 to that.

I am a big supporter of technology in travel - GPS, cellular network, internet have made travel less risky and more efficient.

On the other hand, the nuisance that it comes along is part of the package - co-travellers distracted due to phones, going overboard with photos/social media, office calls during vacation time, etc.

I would still stay technology has not ruined travel, not yet. Humans are irrational beings and usually prefer memories over experiences. Combine that with a strong desire to get stardom, and you are looking at very strong cravings.
Fortunately, technology has a solution for this - the humble smartphone. Ability to click zillion photos and post it on social media for instant celebrity status. To a level, where it seems impossible for a lot of people to take off from an airport without announcing it on FB

To each his own.

[Thermodynamics]

Can't agree more, it is a philosophical thread, reminds a saying
“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”
- Karl Marx

Navigation is a sense and maps have handicapped us. For example, when our Bhpian Laluks explored Kodaikkanal's alternate accesses on foot without maps, I felt these are genes of explorers and everyone has it, alas unexplored.

I was in US two years back on a three months official deputation. My Indian mobile phone wasn't connecting to network easily. I was driving in a new country, new rules, new traffic directions and NO google maps and therefore resorted to old fashioned ways, thank God, USA has good sign boards. Before starting my journey, I used to mark all directions on paper/head something like drive 6 miles IS 64 east and take right on IS 69 South and head to Evansville. If confused, I would simply ask localities for directions. In this fashion I explored Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and even went on a road trip from Evansville to Niagara and back. Man, that was an eye opener, there is nothing like visualizing maps in your head by asking directions to real humans and correcting your course on the go.

[Ranabegins]

According to me there are more pros than cons of technology on our travel experience. Thanks to technology we are able to get information about a place before we visit it, we can plan everything in advance. There used to be a time when people booked their hotels after they reached the destination but those days are gone. I can't even imagine going on a road trip without a GPS enabled phone and internet on the go.

On the other side everyone is busy taking pictures, no one even wants to feel or look at the scenery. I do take a few pictures but I have never looked back at those pictures, I think someday when I get old I will look at them and remember the good old days.

[landcruiser123]

Phones have made life very convenient- the pros outweigh the cons. But people just misuse technology. Back in the day, film was expensive and people took just a few photos for memories. Today - every place I go to has tons of people who whip out their phones out and start clicking photos. Will sheepishly admit that I've been guilty of it at times too.

Phones have significant advantages too:
1. Calling
2. Booking of hotels, flights, buses etc
3. Navigation (although you should remember the address and the generak directions)
4. Booking an Uber

Originally Posted by aargee

It's not the technology ruining, it's the people who're misusing the technology.

Just like sugary aerated drinks- you know that it is bad for you, but you still like to drink a lot of it. (Referring to the average human)

Originally Posted by Thermodynamics

Can't agree more, it is a philosophical thread, reminds a saying
“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”
- Karl Marx

How true. I'm about quarter of a century old (a millennial) and I think the previous generation (Gen X) achieved what they did because of they had to apply their mind on a lot of daily tasks. I take inspiration from a gentleman in his 60s who doesn't use a smartphone in the Bay Area, CA.

Navigation is a sense and maps have handicapped us. therefore resorted to old fashioned ways, thank God, USA has good sign boards.

I hate using GPS to navigate in the USA, except for the last mile to an unknown destination. Most roads are signposted that is generally not required. I totally remember how my dad drove us along the US using just maps- we'd spread it open on the hood in rest stops.

[vb-saan]

I don’t think technology is ruining the travel experience as a whole. Google maps for example have elevated the travel experience, and I personally feel that it helps in better lane discipline as well. Technology aids and driver assistance features in cars is another positive example. And some travelogues of some seasoned travelers in our forum showcase effective use of technology.

In my opinion what ruins the travel experience for some are the way they use technology to record their travel (and I am not talking of professional travelers or vlog creators). For many, the purpose of travel nowadays is to just announce to the world that they have been to this place. I have seen some friends who hardly can recollect specifics from a place they visited a few months back, and they need to refer back to their Facebook/Instagram posts. The art of feeling a place, or soaking in the experience of travel have gone missing. When I was doing the travelogue on my recent holiday, I realized that there were so many places where in I actually stayed in the moment and forgot to record it (i.e.; take pictures). And another sad thing is that many parents make sure to have iPads in the car so that the kids are entertained; they hardly get a chance to look through the window and see the world pass by.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by vb-san

And another sad thing is that many parents make sure to have iPads in the car so that the kids are entertained; they hardly get a chance to look through the window and see the world pass by.

This is one part of our travel we strictly disallow. As much as our daughter keeps up with the "Are we there yet?" question, we just dismiss it, and ask her to look out the window.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

This is one part of our travel we strictly disallow. As much as our daughter keeps up with the "Are we there yet?" question, we just dismiss it, and ask her to look out the window.

Same for us as well – in fact my 11-year-old now have developed an appreciation of the world outside, and does not complain when the iPad is safely stored in the luggage

[narayans80]

I've been using technology for over a decade to plan my trips, and have had innumerable positive experiences that I have lost count of.

Even for a familar place and route, the traffic and ETA are some things I use on a daily basis.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Same for us as well – in fact my 11-year-old now have developed an appreciation of the world outside, and does not complain when the iPad is safely stored in the luggage

I guess this is about the age, kids even do that or remember travel experiences. I see this in my elder kid who is 10, my 5-year old just wants to spend time coloring or fighting with his elder sister

Originally Posted by jailbird_fynix

When there’s so much information at your fingertips it can be easy to copy rather than pave our own routes.

All routes are 'copied' at some level. If you have to pave your own route, you have to be part of road construction. We recently visited Gujarat from Madras without touching any of the major city enroute just to avoid the holiday rush on peak travel day, I was just putting all discrete information together to my advantage, and I did avoid holiday traffic for the most part.

Perhaps the biggest problem with all this pre-trip research, though, is that when we rely on it, we end up denying ourselves the chance to discover new places on our own.

Unless its in your own backyard, going on a multi-day trip with family without preparation is not a great idea. Been in that situation thrice in early days and haven't done since. And no, I didn't 'discover' anything. One such trip, we did nothing but drive from hotel room to hotel room and get wet in rain and skipped a meal or 2 every day. In retrospect, we called this a 'survey trip'

[Miyata]

I find technology has drastically IMPROVED my travel experiences! I love learning about the places I visit and technology makes it lot more conducive.

I rarely share my photos online or public sites - have never had facebook/instagram accounts!

Additionally, I do not like extended holidays! Technology allows converting few travel days to a work-from-home. That way the momentum remains good all along.

Few select anecdotes -

1) Was in a Indigo flight between Bangalore and Delhi. The peace was being disturbed by two geniuses discussing very very loud on the topic of investing! One of them was a senior guy (the presumed expert) and the other was a younger chap (presumed protege). I could insulate myself with from that nuisance using my noise cancelling headphone.

2) I was travelling to Varanasi. There was some issue with my rental car. Had to reach out to some people in the network. Got a innova + driver within 30-min at the airport!

[aravind.anand]

I personally limit my reliance on phones and GMaps while on motorcycle trips. Getting lost, wondering if I am heading the right way, the anxiety, asking for people for routes along the way and getting back on track is a very nice part of my journeys. That also gives me a little extra to share when my colleagues ask "So, how did your bike trip go?"

Yes, when I feel I am losing too much time, or when I don't find people around to help me, the reassurance of technology is always there. There definitely is a certain charm in this old-school bit and I somehow enjoy it a lot - no matter how much my fellow riders detest this and whine about, I still follow this on all my two-wheeled adventures